Transient arrested for following, assaulting young teen

Rockland — A 53-year-old transient, who is currently living in the Rockland area, was arrested for following two young teenage girls and grabbing one inappropriately last week on Main Street.

Ira Pearlman is charged with assault and had bail set at $1,500 cash June 13 in Sixth District Court. Judge Susan Sparaco also ordered that he not have contact with children younger than age 16.

Pearlman was arrested on a warrant after he shut himself away in his room at the Brunswick House, and refused to answer to police after the teenagers called police and made statements about what had occurred that night.

The girls, both age 14, were walking on Main Street near the Time Out Pub June 4, when a man with a white beard and trench coat began to yell at them, telling them they looked young and he wanted to buy them a drink, said an affidavit filed by Rockland Police Officer John Bagley.

The girls told him their age and began to distance themselves from Pearlman. He began to follow them and told them they should shower, get on a bus to New York, and live there with him, according to the affidavit.

When the girls stopped, to allow one to retrieve her wallet from her boot, Pearlman ran up behind one of them, and pulled her back into his groin area, said court papers.

As Ms. Trout observes, Mr. Pearlman has other serious behavioral problems, alcohol may be one of them, but I fear that they go far deeper than that. I only hope that now he is "in the system," he can get some of the help that he needs. Though his actions are illegal, reprehensible, and frightening, he really needs help, not condemnation.

Posted by: Francis Mazzeo, Jr. | Jun 13, 2014 14:14

There for the grace of God go I. One never knows when they drink alcohol if the body will began to need it more than want it. Perhaps Pearlman was drinking wine at an art walk and hasn't been able to stop. Maybe these art walks should be alcohol free, setting an example for young people that one doesn't have to imbibe to enjoy themselves. I looked up the word "styalized" and never did find a meaning to it. Must be something only artistic people on wine can understand.